Esmeralda and Tulio
by CreativeX
Summary: When a chance for power comes along, do you ignore it or take it as it stands before you? Phoebus took it and signed his life over to it. In payment for his power, he banished half his city's people. The people were sent to the Dark Forest and they soon realized that they must all ban together despite their differences to win back their city and take down their corrupt leader.
1. Chapter 1

Phoebus stared up at the captain of the guard, shining in his armor with a medal draped around his neck. He was all muscle and mustache, everything Phoebus wanted to be, a hero, a figure for people to look up to. However, he was just a scrawny kid with shaggy hair, bony legs and eyes too big for his face.

_It's hopeless _Phoebus thought to himself. _I'll never be like that._

"Don't be so sure about that, Phoebus." A voice said from behind.

Phoebus turned to see a woman standing, sort of, behind him. She seemed more like she was floating, like she was underwater. Her jet black hair moved around her and she glided towards him slowly.

"Who…who are you?" Phoebus asked tentatively.

"Eris, Goddess of chaos," She said. "And I can help you with your dilemma."

"Dilemma," Phoebus repeated. "What dilemma?"

"How you want to be like the captain over there. Strong and heroic, fierce and brave," She smiled at him, but it was no normal smile. It was mischievous and wicked.

"How did you know…?" Phoebus turned to behind him to see that everyone else had frozen in time. The captain still smiled smugly down at the women at his feet and the other members of the guard looked on jealously. "Who are you?" Phoebus said, turning back to Eris.

"I already told you," She said. "Eris. Now, do you want my help or not?"

"I…uh," Phoebus stumbled over his words, trying to figure out what to say. "H-how will you help-p me?"

"Well," Eris said slowly. "First, I'll get rid of that stammer you have." Phoebus blushed. He never liked his stammer, but who would? "Second, you'll be taller and stronger. All the girls will be looking at you soon enough." Phoebus grew embarrassed that Eris could read his thoughts. He wondered if she knew about... "And perhaps you'll even win the attention of Belle?" Eris smiled again at Phoebus…and then disappeared. A split second later, she was behind him, hands touching his shoulders. He stepped away and looked at her, scared but interested in what she was saying.

"W-what's in it for you?"

Eris rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone ask me this? Can't I just do something for someone because I feel like it?"

"Oh," Phoebus said. "I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to—."

"Yes, yes," Eris said, cutting off his stuttering. "Fine, fine," She waved him off and then disappeared again, only to reappear right before him. "Do we have a deal? I help you become captain of the guard or higher in let's say the next…25 years and then all you have to do for me is grant me one favor."

Phoebus thought for a moment, but only a brief one before saying one word that would change his life forever.

"Deal."


	2. Chapter 2

"Esmeralda!" Cassim yelled to the dancing teenager. Esmeralda turned sharply to see guards on their horses riding towards her. Esmeralda gathered her skirts and ran with Cassim at her side back home. Neither of them said anything, but they both had a million and one thoughts going through their heads at the time. Esmeralda would much rather stay quiet when around Cassim, but he made that nearly impossible when he aggravated her so much. When they reached their home, the Court of Miracles, they spoke their minds. Loudly.

"What were you thinking?" Cassim demanded grabbing Esmeralda's wrist. It didn't hurt, but how quick Cassim was at his old age surprised her so she let out a gasp. "It is dangerous to go out into the city alone."

"Well, I obviously wasn't alone, old man," Esmeralda said, biting off her last word. "You followed me, again."

"Only because you need to be," He shot back. "If you just listened to me and took someone with you I wouldn't have to. Meg perhaps,"

"Meg?" Esmeralda would have laughed if she wasn't so upset. "Meg is the biggest stick in the mud if there ever was one. I wouldn't bring her with me if we were the last two people in the court!"

"Hush!" Cassim said, holding her wrist a little tighter. "I won't have you speaking those words about someone in your family."

"I have no family." Esmeralda spat at him.

"I am your family, Meg is your family, the court is your family." He said simply. "After your parents died and I had to leave my son, I decided to take you in and treat you as if you were my own child. I did that Meg as well and I'll be _damned_ if you ruin the little family I have left."

Esmeralda remembered what Cassim had told her about his past then. How he had a wife and a son back in the town he came from, far away from the Court of Miracles. He left them to try and give them a better life with more money and more advantages. But, he couldn't and was gone for years. One night, he went back to his home to find out his wife was dead and his son was missing. He went into a life of thieving. His son found him, but not before he was a wanted felon. Cassim had to leave the one family he had left and start all over again. Esmeralda felt horrible about this.

"I'm sorry," Esmeralda said finally. Cassim loosened his grip on her wrist and ultimately dropped it. "I just…" She sighed. "I just can't take being in there for days at a time. I need fresh air and to get away from people. Everyone has those kind of days."

"I understand, Esmeralda," Cassim said. "But please, do not do it again."

Esmeralda looked Cassim in the eye. It was hard to see him like this. He was thinking about his song and his wife. He looked as though he might cry. She saw all the memories of them behind his brown eyes. She walked away before she got choked up. She thought about her parents, or at least, what people said about them. They died before she could remember them. She was told she looked like her mother but she had her father's fiery personality.

Esmeralda walked into the Court and, as always, was struck at the beauty of it. The Court of Miracles was in the old catacombs under a graveyard, so it was all stone and rock but the gypsies always brought color with them. There were colored fabrics draped all over the ceilings and walls and caravans. Purples, blues, greens, yellows, reds and dozens of other colors. It would give normal people headaches to see all of these colors mixing together, but not the gypsies and especially not Esmeralda.

She walked to her own little caravan that had suns and moons carved all over it and purple fabrics on the indside. Her goat, Djoli, was there waiting for her on the bed. He bled was happiness as she pet him. Esmeralda closed her eyes and nearly drifted off into a peaceful sleep but not before a scream peirced her dreamlike state of mind. Her eyes shot open and she bolted upright. Djoli did the same as more screams were heard. Esmeralda looked out the window and saw...something she never thought she'd see in her home. The captains gaurds.

Esmeralda rushed to her door and opened it, trying to go and help some of her people get away...but it was too late. They were at her door, two of them. One had a mustache and bad teeth, the other was fat and looked like he took pleasure in his work. Esmeralda took a deep breath as they reached for her, but she kicked them out of the way and ran. She ran as fast as she could with Djoli on her tail. Esmeralda turned to see if anyone was following her, but no one was, so she turned back only to run into another gaurd. He grabbed her shoulders forcefully. Esmeralda heard another gaurd come up behind her. She felt a sharp pain on the back of her head.

Everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Phoebus stood at his window, over-looking the city. It had been nearly 25 years since the deal between him and Eris and the only thing that had occurred was he hit puberty and was made captain. He still wanted more. He wanted to rule the entire city, be elected to the city council and then take it over. Phoebus wanted all of that now. Nevertheless, Eris had other plans.

"Now, now," Eris said, appearing out of nowhere. "The time is coming shortly."

After all these years, Phoebus was no longer surprised that Eris came in and out of his life. He never jumped when she showed up out of thin air and he stopped stuttering around her. Phoebus had aged nicely over the last two decades. Eris had not aged a day. He had finally come to realize how beautiful she was with her mysterious smiles and her strange appearance. Still, there was work to be done and a deal was struck. He could not be swayed by his lust for how she looked.

"Eris," Phoebus said, still looking out the window. "You said I would have power."

"And so you have it." She answered him. "Captain of all the military forces in this city, aren't you? Why are you unhappy with it?"

Phoebus turned to face her. She always wore that strange smile on her face, one that said, "I know something you don't." He hated that smile. "This is not the power I want. I can't do anything with being captain. I still have to take orders from people."

Eris disappeared and reappeared closer to him, almost touching. "You make you me laugh, Phoebus," Eris said with humor in her voice. "Of course you have to take orders, everyone does."

"You don't and I shouldn't either. We made a deal, Eris. You said I would have power."

"I never specified what type you would have," She said, all humor gone in her voice. "I gave you what you wanted. If you wanted something more, you should have specified. I promised I'd make you captain. I did that. Remember?"

Eris disappeared and right before Phoebus's eyes, he saw himself. He was a child again who was skinny and afraid. He saw Eris next to him and they were making the deal. "Alright," adult Phoebus said. "I get your point." Eris made the memory go away and she stood before him again.

"I even got you Belle, did I not?" Eris asked. She was right. Belle and Phoebus were married now. "Or are you unhappy with your bride?"

"You like making deals," Phoebus said, catching Eris off guard. "Make me a city official and I'll grant you another favor."

Eris smiled mysteriously. "You already got rid of the gypsies for me. What else do I need?"

"Not what you need," He said. "What you want. You will want another favor soon enough. I know you, Eris."

Eris was touching Phoebus now. She pressed her back to his side. Phoebus went rigid, not knowing what to do. "It's a deal then. I cross my heart."

"You don't have a heart."

Eris vanished, leaving a whispered of laughter behind. Phoebus relaxed and fell against the wall. His armor hit the hard stone with a clank. He didn't know what he should be more afraid of; his deal with Eris or the fact that he was that close to her. Either way, it didn't matter. He was going to be powerful and rule the city. He hoped.


	4. Chapter 4

The forest was dark and damp, like there had just been a storm. There were fallen trees and the ground was soft when Esmeralda and the Court arrived. They had brought very few of their caravans pulled by old, sick donkeys. The elderly stayed in the caravans, while everyone else walked the 80 miles from the city. By the time they arrived, they were all tired and almost ready to quit, but they didn't. The Court set up their camp and started a fire. Esmeralda and Cassim sat on a fallen log and looked at their people.

"Home," Cassim said.

Esmeralda looked at her adoptive father, aghast. "Home," She repeated. "This is home to you? We are dozens of miles away from our home."

"Home is where our families are." Cassim told her, looking at Esmeralda with tired eyes. "The court is our family and we will always have a home when they are with us."

Esmeralda turned back to look at their people. Worn and miserable, they still did what they needed to in order to live here. They set up caravans, spread their fabrics all over the trees and suddenly, Esmeralda knew Cassim was right. It was home, it even began to look like home. She put her head on her adoptive fathers shoulder and closed her eyes, hoping for a better tomorrow as she drifted off to sleep.

The sun burst through the caravans window, awaking Esmeralda with a start. She looked up and saw Meg and all of her sarcastic glory. She had a bored smirk on her face, as always.

"Awaken, oh beautiful one," Meg addressed her and walked away.

Esmeralda blinked in the sunlight and rubbed her eyes. Cassim had woken her and guided her to one of the caravans after she fell asleep on his side. She realized she had to share with more than just Meg now. It was their family and perhaps a few more.

She dressed quickly, wrapping her favorite purple cloth around her waist and draping her wrists and arms in gold bangles, before going outside and facing the day. She felt mud under her feet and rubbed her toes in it. It felt oddly…calming to do such a thing. She walked over to Cassim and Meg as the stood at a fallen tree, just looking at it.

"Good morning," Esmeralda greeted them.

"Ah, you're awake," Cassim said. "Good. I would like you to go north to find some food. Remember, only blue and purple berries. No red, understand? Do you need someone to go with you?"

"No, I'll be fine," She said. "What will Meg do?"

"I am staying here," Meg said, not turning to look at Esmeralda. "Trying to figure out a way to lift this tree and possibly do something with it."

Esmeralda opened her mouth to ask a question, but closed it, knowing she would be stuck here for at least an extra ten minutes listening to Meg explain. So instead, she smiled and left after grabbing piece of cloth to carry the berries in. She dug each foot into the still wet mud and only caught a few twigs as she walked further north. Finally, when the cloth was nearly overflowing, she turned to walk back. Before she turned, she heard a twig snap and thought quickly. She dropped the berries and grabbed a small knife she kept on her person at all times. She turned and faced a man who was standing behind her.

"Who are you?" She demanded to the person. It was a man; tall, thin with black hair that was in a small ponytail. He held up his hands in a defensive way and took a step back.

"Easy, easy," He said, backing away. "I-I don't mean you any harm."

"Who are you?" Esmeralda demanded again.

"Tulio," He said. "My name is Tulio."

"Why were you following me?"

"I wasn't," He said, his hands still raised. "I was in the woods, I saw you and thought I'd say hello."

Esmeralda paused, skeptical. "'Hello?' That's all you wanted?"

"And to introduce myself, but we've taken care of that."

"Huh," She said, putting the knife down slowly. As she did, Tulio put his hands down as well.

"And you are…?"

"Is this an interrogation?"

"It's called an introduction."

Esmeralda, unsure of what to do, slowly gathered up the berries, the ones that weren't dirty and thought about what to say. Finally, she answered. "Esmeralda,"

"Beautiful."

"Why are you here?"

Tulio smiled and laughed a little. "Now it's an interrogation." Esmeralda rolled her eyes and waited for an answer. Tulio sighed and responded. "I was forced to come here with my family. My group if you will. We had no choice."

"You…you didn't?"

"No, I didn't. If I did, I would be at my home, back one hundred and sixty miles east of here."

"160? I only had to travel eighty."

"Wait," Tulio said, taking a step closer. "You had to come here? You haven't always been here?"

"No, I had no choice either."

Tulio and Esmeralda looked at each other and smiled, realizing things just became much more interesting.


End file.
